Borderlands Game of the Year Edition Review

Perhaps after you're all done with that and everyone's maxed at 50, it's time to see who could win in a fight? Well, the game gives you the option to do that as well. At any time you can melee a teammate to try and initiate a duel, and beyond that it's possible to head to special dungeons for some arena player versus player combat. This is a mode purely for fun, but it's nice to see it included since it gives you more of a sense of what all your equipment can do against a human opponent instead of the legions of AI-driven foes you've been melting and dismembering all game long.

In case you've read this far and are still scared off by the game's complexities, it's a surprisingly accessible experience considering all its varying elements. Someone unfamiliar with loot drop styles of games will still have to spend a little while getting acquainted with the game's systems, but overall it's easy to get in to and isn't a game that revels in player punishment. For instance, dying on the field of battle can be circumvented by killing an enemy while in a bleed-out state, and if you're playing with others they can just walk over and revive you with no required special skills. If you do miss the revive window and actually die, the game respawns you at a conveniently located waypoint and only subtracts a percentage of your cash -- you don't lose experience, items, or anything else. Though you do have to keep track of inventory space and ammunition counts, nothing like weapon or item durability ever enters into the equation, minimizing the amount of micromanaging necessary while restocking in town before heading out again into the field, keeping the focus on action.

Through all of this, Borderlands also manages to maintain a strong degree of personality thanks to its sharp, stylized visuals. On consoles the framerate can be a bit jittery in large-scale fights, but otherwise the game's a pleasure to behold, with enemies that actually respond to being pegged with bullets, snapping back their heads, sending them reeling, and occasionally triggering special elemental deaths. It's got nicely detailed open environments, a huge range of weapon models, and though a little more enemy variety would have been appreciated, there's still plenty to take in and admire.

While visuals are one thing, what may surprise some is the game's sense of humor. The few recurring characters are quite funny, mostly due to some solid voiceovers delivering witty, snappy dialogue. The Wall-E-like Claptrap robots, with their penchant for dancing and personalities that draw from seemingly bottomless wells of enthusiasm, consistently serve as a source of comic relief, and you're guaranteed to laugh at the self-deprecating style of Tanis' audio logs. Over the years we've seen so very many action-RPGs lose their sense of mood and character under an avalanche of statistics and magic effects, but that can't be said about Borderlands. It stands out because of its visuals, entertains thanks to its well-designed gameplay, and frequently tickles your sense of humor as foes squeal in pain as lighting shoots from their disintegrating foreheads while your character class jeers and taunts and moves on to the next target. A thumping soundtrack kicks into gear during battles, the game's overworld music tracks lock in well with the tone of the world, and everything in Gearbox's virtual space feels like it fits.

The dancing Claptrap robots, among many other things, give the game a distinct humor and charm.

The Verdict

Gearbox's Borderlands is without a doubt a slick, satisfying hybrid title for those who know what to expect. If you're a shooter fan curious what the world of Pandora is all about, then you should know that this is a product built on a foundation of statistical progression, character customization, and one that holds item acquisition high above interesting quest structure and narrative. At the same time, it plays like a shooter, requiring twitch skills to dominate the droves of enemies that stand in between you and your search for a mysterious vault. With the opportunity for up to four to join together for co-operative play, four character classes, a dizzying array of firearms, around 20 or so hours of content for a single playthrough and the option to restart with stronger enemies and loot, there's plenty of content here. It's a thoroughly enjoyable journey that offers a steady stream of rewards that remains convenient and accessible. It's something action role-playing game fans looking for an experience more up-close and brutal than genre entries of the third-person variety should have a blast with, and one of the more memorable products of 2009.